Nutrition and Biomedicine

Nutritional science occupies a special position in the natural sciences. It occupies an interface between basic scientific knowledge and its application to human nutrition, an everyday but vital process. The range of topics in nutritional science covers the entire value chain from the production of food to the consumer with their needs for safety, quality, variety and value of food.

Questions about nutrition are on everyone's lips and affect our lives in more complex ways than almost any other topic. The question of how nutrition can promote our health and contribute to the prevention of diseases is at the forefront of people's minds. This is the focus of the international Master’s degree program “Nutrition and Biomedicine”. Our students learn to provide reliable answers to these medically relevant questions based on scientific and medical evidence and taking into account genetic and epigenetic influences in the various phases of life.

At the same time, the recruitment of students from all over the world enables intercultural exchange, particularly with regard to internationally relevant topics in nutritional science, such as malnutrition, overweight, obesity and other nutrition-related diseases. The English-language degree program is a door opener for international exchange in the context of research internships and Master's Theses, which opens up numerous career prospects in the international economic area.

The aim of the degree program is to train scientists with a research-oriented character in the field of nutritional science and nutritional medicine who are competitive on an international level. The focus on nutritional medicine content and nutrition-related diseases and the interdisciplinary nature of the course open up new career prospects in the forward-looking global job market for biomedical research. We train highly qualified scientists in this field who can pursue an academic career at universities and non-university research institutions. They are also qualified for leading positions in federal research institutions or in research and development departments in the food and pharmaceutical industries. 

The course begins in the first semester with the intensive module Basics Nutrition and Food. This module serves to expand and deepen knowledge of physiology and metabolic pathways in the context of nutrition. The focus is on the regulation of metabolism and the systemic interaction of organs. The intensive module is particularly important for students who have not completed a Bachelor's degree in nutritional science. 

In the first two semesters, students are also taught methodological skills for nutritional and biomedical research in three compulsory modules. The Research Methods module deals with the advantages and disadvantages of genetic model organisms, the current techniques of molecular biology and human genetics, the use of proteome analyses and metabolomics, the planning, implementation and evaluation of clinical studies and the development of guidelines relating to nutritional behavior. The module Computational Biology provides an introduction to the application of bioinformatics methods. Students learn how to access biological databases and perform appropriate software analyses required in the day-to-day work of a molecular biologist. And the Integrated Lab Course aims to expand and specialize theoretical and practical methodological knowledge and to train students to carry out experimental work efficiently and safely. 

Other compulsory modules in the first and second semesters include the Recent Topics lecture series, in which international lecturers provide in-depth insights into the research spectrum of nutritional science and related medically relevant topics, as well as five other core modules. The Energy Balance Regulation module deals with the current state of knowledge on the regulation of food intake, digestion and utilization of nutrients, partitioning in the body and energy consumption. In Disease Pathologies and Nutrition, the specific pathophysiological characteristics of the most important nutrition-related diseases, the causes of disease with a focus on the influence of nutrition and the molecular mechanisms involved are presented. In the Advanced Metabolism module, students acquire an in-depth understanding of the mechanisms of metabolic regulation. The Food and Health module teaches the multifaceted influences of nutrition on health, including a focus on the nutritional assessment of dietary behavior, foods and ingredients with regard to the scientific evidence for their health-promoting effects. And in the core module Nutrition and Microbe-Host Interactions, students acquire special knowledge about the diversity and functions of the microbial ecosystem in the gastrointestinal tract of mammals and learn to assess the influences of nutrition and the microbiota on the health of the host.

The third and fourth semesters include a wide range of elective modules as well as the final thesis and also offer our students the opportunity to gain international experience during a semester abroad. 

Depending on their inclinations and interests, students can choose elective modules from the entire range offered by the Technical University of Munich to deepen their knowledge and build their profile. In this way, the level of education is rounded off by a self-designed profile. The elective module area also offers the opportunity to complete research internships in Germany and abroad. The theoretical knowledge and experimental methods acquired can then be put to practical use in a research internship. A Research Internship can also be used as an introduction to the research project for the final thesis.

The Master’s degree program "Nutrition and Biomedicine" combines the content of a research-oriented natural science course at the interface between nutritional science, human biology and medicine and provides in-depth nutritional science knowledge with a scientific character that integrates relevant content from modern biology, medicine and other specialist disciplines. Our students gain a detailed and critical understanding of central topics of modern nutrition research and related fields of knowledge and are familiar with experimental model systems of biological research, which they can use in preclinical and clinical research and in epidemiology, depending on their individual profile. 

The Nutrition and Biomedicine Master’s degree program also provides students with the ability to critically examine basic and applied research in nutritional science. Graduates possess broad methodological skills in their specialist areas and can apply these to new issues. In ongoing research projects, they have learned to work independently in a scientific manner and are familiar with the basic principles of experimental design. They are thus able to transfer their specialist knowledge in order to facilitate scientific innovation with new research approaches.

In addition to the professional skills in the field of interviewing and presentation techniques, our students are trained in teamwork and conflict resolution in an intercultural environment in seminars, research internships and as part of their final thesis. At the same time, they acquire cooperation and communication skills at an international level through exchange with academics. 

Through a differentiated range of options in various fields of competence, both in terms of content and in relation to internal or external research laboratories, and through the motivation to make independent decisions, our students have the opportunity to develop an individual research profile and thereby develop a scientific self-image.

Application requirements and eligibility

A prerequisite for the application is a qualified Bachelor of Science degree of at least six semesters or at least an equivalent degree in the field of Life Sciences, Nutritional Science or a comparable natural sciences degree program with a biosciences focus, obtained at a German or foreign university. 
At the time of application, a Transcript of Records with modules amounting to at least 120 credits (ECTS) (for a seven-semester Bachelor's degree program with modules amounting to at least 150 credits and for an eight-semester Bachelor's degree program with modules amounting to at least 180 credits) must be available.

Knowledge of the English language

Applicants whose language of instruction is not English must provide proof by means of a recognized language test such as the "Test of English as a Foreign Language" (TOEFL, at least 88 points), the "International English Language Testing System" (IELTS, at least 6.5 points) or the "Cambridge Main Suite of English Examinations". Examinations amounting to 30 credits in English-language examination modules also count as proof of English language proficiency.

Preliminary Documentation (VPD)

Applicants who have obtained their academic qualifications (e.g. a Bachelor's degree) in a country outside the EU/EEA (with the exception of Switzerland) require preliminary examination documentation. The VPD must at first be applied for at uni-assist before it is uploaded together with the application at TUM. Important: the processing of the VPD at uni-assist can take 6-8 weeks! An early application is therefore recommended, otherwise delays in processing the application documents at TUM must be expected. This is because only complete application documents can be processed.

Semester fees and tuition fees at TUM

All students must pay a semester contribution to the student union (Studierendenwerk).

++ NEW ++ International students from third countries, i.e. from countries that are not part of the European Economic Area, will be charged tuition fees from the winter semester 2024/25. All information on fee levels, waivers and scholarship programs can be found on the website Tuition fees for international students.

Application period and start of studies

The application period is from 01 January to 31 May of each year for the following winter semester. It is only possible to start studying in the winter semester. See here for semester dates.
For international students, we strongly recommend to apply as early as possible.

Online application

The application is only possible via our online application portal, for which an applicant account must be set up. The instructions for the online application can be found here. Only after receiving a letter of admission, the documents must also be submitted in paper-based form. All documents must be uploaded to the TUMonline portal by the end of the application deadline! Documents submitted by e-mail cannot be processed.

Depending on the nationality and the country in which the Bachelor's degree was obtained, different documents may have to be submitted via our TUMonline portal. Documents issued in German or English do not have to be translated. Documents that are not issued in German or English must be translated into German or English by a sworn translator. Both the original and the translation must be uploaded to as one PDF file. The documents required for the application can be found in the country-specific regulations and in the glossary of documents.

Please note: We can only consider applications that have been uploaded in full and within the application deadline!

TUM-Test

++ IMPORTANT ++ Applicants with an undergraduate degree outside the scope of the Lisbon Convention (Countries of the Lisbon Convention) must take an electronic test (TUM-Test) before the application deadline in order to participate in the aptitude procedure.

One week before the date, we will send you an information e-mail with all the details of the TUM-Test (Exam-TUM-Moodle). Participation in the TUM-Test requires an application in the online application portal (TUMonline). This means that the application must be sent electronically! Documents (such as proof of participation in the TUM-Test) can be uploaded later without any problems.

It is also very important to have a stable Internet connection during the test.

The date for the TUM-Test can be found here.

Applicants with an undergraduate degree within the scope of the Lisbon Convention (countries of the Lisbon Convention) do not have to take a TUM-Test.

The TUM-Test for the Master's program in Nutrition and Biomedicine is offered once per application phase. 

The test takes place in written form and in English as an online test.

It lasts 30 minutes and comprises approx. 10-15 questions on the following topics:

       - Mathematics and Statistics
       - Research Methods
       - Biochemistry/Metabolism
       - Anatomy/Physiology/Pathophysiology

If you have achieved at least 40 points in the TUM-Test you will be assessed in the aptitude process. You will receive a confirmation of your participation in the TUM-Test Nutrition and Biomedicine with the achieved score. You must upload this confirmation with your application documents.

The results of the TUM-Test are valid for a maximum of two years.

Aptitude assessment procedure

In a subsequent aptitude assessment process, we will check whether you have the appropriate qualifications and skills for the Master`s program. 

(1) For applicants with an undergraduate degree within the scope of the Lisbon Convention (countries of the Lisbon Convention), in the first stage of the aptitude assessment procedure, the qualifications acquired in the first degree course will be assessed on the basis of the existing grade and the existing specialist knowledge on the basis of a curricular analysis derived from the transcript of records. 

The link and Application number/Antragsnummer (1-00xxxxxx) to register for the curricular analysis can be found in your TUMonline application account.

On the basis of the curricular analysis, the commission evaluates and grades your basic competencies in the following fundamental subject groups: 

- Physics 
- Inorganic chemistry with practical course 
- Organic and physical chemistry with practical course 
- Biochemistry 
- Mathematics and statistics 
- Cell biology 
- Genetics 
- Microbiology 
- Human/animal physiology 
- Laboratory practical courses (e.g. in biochemistry, microbiology; human/animal physiology, biology)

The overall assessment of the first stage is the sum of the calculated score of the curricular analysis and the calculated score for the grade.

Applicants who have achieved at least 50 points have passed the aptitude test.
Applicants who have achieved less than 40 points have failed the aptitude test.

The remaining applicants will be invited to an aptitude interview (second stage). The interview lasts 20 to 30 minutes and takes place via Zoom. The date for the interview will be announced at least one week in advance.

(2) For applicants with an undergraduate degree outside the area of applicability of the Lisbon Convention (Countries of the Lisbon Convention), the qualification acquired in the first degree course will be assessed in the first stage of the aptitude assessment procedure on the basis of the result (score) of the TUM-Test Nutrition and Biomedicine.

Applicants who have achieved at least 50 points in the test have passed the aptitude test.

The remaining applicants will be invited to an aptitude assessment interview (second stage of the aptitude assessment process). The interview lasts 20 to 30 minutes via Zoom. The date for the interview will be announced at least one week in advance.

The application procedures are described in Appendix 2a (without TUM-Test) and 2b and 3 (with TUM-test) of the Academic and Examination Regulations of the program.

Enrollment

After admission to the degree program, the study place must be accepted in the applicant account. Subsequently, the certified copies etc. must be submitted in paper-based form for enrollment and the semester fees must be paid. All relevant information is displayed in the TUMonline applicant account. Here you can find the details of the enrollment procedure and here the glossary of documents can be found.

++Please note: From the time of admission, we will only contact our students via the tum.de or mytum.de email address, which can be found in the applicant account. Instructions for setting up the e-mail address at TUM can be found here.

• Curriculum
  The degree chart gives you an overview and recommendation, which modules you should take in which semester according to academic and examination regulations (FPSO).
   
• Timetable (TUM ID required for login):
  The timetable provides an overview of the courses of the planned compulsory and elective modules of a semester. It is for orientation purposes only and will not be updated during the semester!
  
  TUMonline can be used to create a timetable for each semester according to FPSO.
  It is also possible to create an individual timetable, which can include personal appointments in addition to the dates of the selected courses.
  Find Nutrition and Biomedicine electives in TUMonline (WS 2020/21)
  
  First steps with TUMonline

• General Academic and Examination Regulations at TUM (APSO)
• Academic and Examination Regulations (FPSO)
  • Academic and Examination Regulations 20231 (from start of degree program WS 23/24)
  • Academic and Examination Regulations 20181

• Examination dates & registration via TUMonline
  You can register for the module examinations via TUMonline.

  Important: For most examinations, participation is only possible if students have actively registered themselves via TUMonline within the registration period. The registration and deregistration period will be displayed on the examination date. 

• Further examination matters
  • Academic progress check
  • Examinations
  • Recognitions
  • Theses
     
• Board of Examination
  The board of examination is a committee of university professors and lecturers of the degree program. The chairperson of the board of examination of this degree program is Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Martin Klingenspor. Applications to the examination board are received by the staff members of examination matters and submitted to the examination board for a decision. The members of the examination matters can be contacted via email: examination.co(at)ls.tum.de .

Research Internships

For students starting before the winter semester 2023/24:

In the third semester a 6-week Research Internship must be completed as a compulsory module either internally at a TUM chair, or externally in international or national research institutions or in the industry.

For students starting from winter semester 2023/24:
In the area of elective modules, at least 10 credits must be earned in form of a Research Internship. A maximum of 15 credits can be earned as research internships.
It is essential to follow the instructions and information in our info sheet and in the module description in order to find a chair for the supervision and registration of the Research Internship in advance.

More information about

• Internships
• Internship database of the TUM School of Life Sciences